Structural member and method of making the same

ABSTRACT

An elongated structural member such as a tower or a beam is fabricated from a plurality of identical sidewalls. The structure is made up of sections secured together in end to end relationship. Each of the sections comprises at least three sidewalls, hingedly secured together, and adapted to be arranged in coplanar relationship. When the walls are coplanar the sections may be stacked by accordion folding the sections so that a compact bundle may be formed. The structural member may be formed from the stack of sections by connecting the free edges of the outer sidewalls of each section and securing the same together by means of a single hinge pin running the length of the structural member.

United States Patent Mikulin 14 1 Dec. 16, 1975 1 1 STRUCTURAL MEMBERAND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Tom T. Mikulin, 1469 Bellevue Ave.,Burlingame, Calif. 94010 Filed: Sept. 30, 1974 Appl. No.: 510,480

Inventor:

US. Cl. 52/581; 52/582; 52/637;

160/229 Int. CI. E0411 12/00 [58] Field of Search 52/637, 581, 582, 143,52/578, 588, 587,593, 594; 160/229 References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 7/1916 Hughes 160/229 R 3/1943 Arthur I 52/582 X 2,321,5666/1943 Wilson 52/582 X 2,728,276 12/1955 Greulich 52/581 X FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 997,182 9/1951 Francc 52/582 Primary Eraminew-J.Karl Bell Altar/20y, Agent, or FirmGordon Wood [57] ABSTRACT Anelongated structural member such as a tower or a beam is fabricated froma plurality of identical sidewalls. The structure is made up of sectionssecured to- 8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures STRUCTURAL MEMBER AND METHOD OFMAKING THE SAME,

This invention relates to structural members and more particularly, to astructural member such as a tower or elongated beam which is adapted tobe erected from a plurality of identical elements and which elements maybe stacked in a convenient compact bundle for transportation.

In many situations it is desirable to be able to construct an elongatedstructural member such as a microwave tower or the like, so that thesame may bereadily erected at a desired site and subsequentlydisassembled into a compact form to facilitate transporting thestructure to a different site. The main object of the present inventionis the provision of a novel structural member such as a tower which maybe quickly erected at a desired site and which may be converted into acom pact package without requiring time consuming disassembly of thevarious parts.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingspecification and from the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a small scale side elevation of a tower constituting one formof the invention with a portion of the length broken away.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of one of the sidewalls from which thestructural member is formed.

FIG. 3 is a reduced scale side elevation of three sidewalls swingablyconnected together to form a section. The sidewalls are shown incoplanar relationship.

FIG. 4 is a larger scale end elevation of a section with the sidewallssecured together to form a prism.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross section of one of the hinge knuckles astaken in a plane indicated by lines 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a section of another knuckle taken in planes indicated bylines 66 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a section showing another hinge knuckle as taken in a planeindicated by lines 77 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of one end of the structuralmember showing one method of carrying out the final assembly step.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the compactpackage from which the structural member may be formed.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the invention lends itself to the formationof an elongated structural beam or tower and other like structures. Theembodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a tower which may be used for supportingmicrowave receivers or similar apparatus. The tower comprises aplurality of similar sections generally designated 1 which will now bedescribed in detail.

Each section 1 is formed from three or more similar sidewalls, one ofwhich is shown in FIG. 2 and generally designated 3. Each sidewall 3 maybe formed from a generally rectangular sheet of preferably high strengthmaterial such as corrosion resistant steel or high tensile aluminum. Theweight of each sheet is preferably reduced by providing lightning holessuch as those shown at 5, 6. Along one edge the sheet is formed toprovide equally spaced hinge knuckles 9 (see FIG. 6). Along the oppositeedge of the sheet the same is provided with similar knuckles 10 whichare identical to knuckles 9 but in staggered relationship with respectthereto so that two sidewalls may be swingably connected together asshown in FIG. 3 with the knuckles 10 entering the spaces between theknuckles 9. Along one of the narrow edges there are provided a pluralityof knuckles 12 (see FIG. 7) which are different from knuckles 9, 10 inthat the center line of the knuckle is in the plane of one side of thesidewall 3. It will be noted from FIG. 2 that another identical sidewallis adapted to be hingedly secured to the sidewall shown by means ofknuckles 12 since the knuckles of the identical additional sidewall willbe in staggered relation relative to the knuckles I2 shown in FIG. 2when the two sidewalls are in alignment.

Itwill be seen from FIG. 3 that three identical sidewalls 3 may beswingably connected together by means of hinge pins 14 (FIG. 9) whichpass through knuckles 9, 10.

The remaining side edge of the sidewall 3 is provided with relativelylarge knuckles 16 (FIG. 5) by which the sections may be connected in endto end relationship by means of hinge pins 17 (FIG. 9).

Inaddition it will be noted that a plurality of sections 1 may beswingably connected together by means of knuckles 12 and hinge pins 13and also by means of knuckles l6 and hinge pins 17. It will be notedfrom FIG. 1 that the ends of the section having the large knuckles 16are in alternating relationship relative to the ends of the sectionshaving the smaller knuckles 12. This permits the entire stack ofsections to be accordion folded into a stack, a portion of which isshown in FIG. 9.

It will be noted in FIG. 9 that the use of the large knuckles 16 andlarge hinge pins 17 not only promotes strength of the structure, butalso permits the knuckles 9, 10 to fit within the space between adjacentsidewalls to achieve a compact stack.

The sections may be stacked as shown in FIG. 9 and when it is desired toassemble the structural member the sections may be unfolded withoutdisconnecting them so that the same are all extending horizontally in aline on the ground. Thereafter the outer sidewalls may be swung to theposition of FIG. 4 so that the knuckles 9, ll) of the outer sidewalls 3are in registration. In this position a hinge pin 20 may be insertedthrough the knuckles 9, 10 to provide a rigid structure.

In view of the fact that the structure, such as the tower shown in FIG.1, may exceed feet in length, a device schematically indicated in FIG. 8may be employed for inserting and withdrawing the hinge pin 10. Suchdevice may include a pair of drive rollers 21, 22 driven from a sourceof power (not shown) and adapted to drive the wire constituting thehinge pin 20 along the entire length of the structure to complete theassembly.

When it is desired to move the structure it is a simple matter towithdraw the pin 20, swing the outer sidewalls to the coplanarrelationship of FIG. 3, and to accordion fold the sections to form thestack shown in FIG. 9.

Although the structure shown is a three sided prism, it will beunderstood that four sides or more may be employed if desired.

The invention also contemplates the use of steel strips formed withhinge knuckles and which strips may be riveted or otherwise secured tothe sidewalls.

I claim:

1. The method of forming an elongated structural member comprising thesteps of:

providing a section of said member comprising a plurality of rectangularsidewalls swingably secured together about longitudinally extendingparallel axes,

providing a second similar section in end to end relation with saidfirst section and securing the adjacent ends of said sections together,

arranging the sidewalls of both sections by swinging the same about saidaxes to form a prism of a length equal to the length of both sectionsand with the opposite parallel free edges of the two outer sidewalls ofsaid plurality of both sections in engagement, and thereafter,

connecting said free edges of both sections together.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said sections are hingedly secured topermit folding said sections together in face to face relation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein additional sections are hingedlysecured in end to end relation and all of said sections are accordianfolded together to permit stacking said sections in face to facerelationship.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said free edges of all of said sectionsare formed with hinge knuckles and one hinge pin is inserted through allof said knuckles to so connect said free edges.

5. An elongated structural member, comprising:

a plurality of similar sections,

means for securing said sections together in end to end relation,

each of said sections comprising at least three sidewalls swingablysecured together about longitudinally extending axes, and

means for securing the opposite free edges of the outer sidewalls of allof said sections to form an elongated prism.

6. A structural member according to claim 5 wherein said sections areswingably connected together for accordion folding said sections intosuperposed stacked relation when said sidewalls are coplanar.

7. A structural member according to claim 5 wherein said sections areswingably connected by means of hinges.

8. A structural member according to claim 7 wherein the hinges at oneend of each section are substantially larger than the hinges at theopposite end to permit said accordion folding.

1. The method of forming an elongated structural member comprising thesteps of: providing a section of said member comprising a plurality ofrectangular sidewalls swingably secured together about longitudinallyextending parallel axes, providing a second similar section in end toend relation with said first section and securing the adjacent ends ofsaid sections together, arranging the sidewalls of both sections byswinging the same about said axes to form a prism of a length equal tothe length of both sections and with the opposite parallel free edges ofthe two outer sidewalls of said plurality of both sections inengagement, and thereafter, connecting said free edges of both sectionstogether.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said sections are hingedlysecured to permit folding said sections together in face to facerelation.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein additional sections arehingedly secured in end to end relation and all of said sections areaccordian folded together to permit stacking said sections in face toface relationship.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said free edges ofall of said sections are formed with hinge knuckles and one hinge pin isinserted through all of said knuckles to so connect said free edges. 5.An elongated structural member, comprising: a plurality of similarsections, means for securing said sections together in end to endrelation, each of said sections comprising at least three sidewallsswingably secured together about longitudinally extending axes, andmeans for securing the opposite free edges of the outer sidewalls of allof said sections to form an elongated prism.
 6. A structural memberaccording to claim 5 wherein said sections are swingably connectedtogether for accordion folding said sections into superposed stackedrelation when said sidewalls are coplanar.
 7. A structural memberaccording to claim 5 wherein said sections are swingably connected bymeans of hinges.
 8. A structural member according to claim 7 wherein thehinges at one end of each section are substantially larger than thehinges at the opposite end to permit said accordion folding.